It wasn’t that Jared had a particular type, or even that Dylan was it. He liked the guys who were confident, sure of themselves, who owned their look.
Since he wanted to make the right kind of impression, Jared stood when Dylan came over and offered his hand to shake.
“Hi. Jared, right?”
“Yeah,” Jared said, shaking Dylan’s hand, and sat down, shuffling papers to make room for Dylan’s drink. “Nice to meet you.”
“You too.”
“So, you know Ryder, right?”
Jared nodded. “Yeah. And the rest of the Scooby gang.”
Dylan hid his grin behind a mug of coffee. “I haven’t been across the bridge in a while. How are things?”
“Well, I wouldn’t like to be presumptuous, but I’m guessing the same as they’ve always been.”
“You’re trying really hard not to insult my friends, aren’t you?”
“So hard,” Jared agreed dramatically.
Dylan laughed. “It’s okay. I’ve been out of the loop for a while now. It’s funny how much perspective you get once you step back from it all.”
“They’re all batshit crazy,” Jared said. “I’m serious. I know I’m the new guy and all, and I’m messing up their perfect little routine, but….”
“They’re messing with you,” Dylan said bluntly. “I honestly don’t know what’s going on. All I got was a text from Ryder saying Clare told her to pass on my number. But if I know Clare—and I have since I was about four—she’s up to something.”
“I wish I knew what,” Jared admitted.
“You’ll figure it out sooner or later,” Dylan said, which was oddly reassuring. Jared nodded and tapped his keyboard to bring his computer to life.
“So, chemistry,” he said with a baleful grin, and Dylan leaned over to see the screen.
An hour later Jared felt like he’d finally found someone in this godforsaken corner of the country he could be himself around. Dylan was easygoing; he joked and laughed frequently but took the time to explain things when they were working in a way that made sure Jared understood, but he didn’t patronize him. It was both reassuring and promising. Dylan seemed to think they could work together a couple of times a week, and Jared wouldn’t have trouble bringing his grades back up.
“You get all this stuff,” Dylan said, leaning back with his second cup of coffee. Jared had insisted on buying. “It’s just figuring out how to retain those bits of information you didn’t learn last year and how to apply them to the new assignments you’re getting. I think you probably do better in essays than tests, right?”
Jared nodded. “Yeah. Exactly. How do you recognize stuff like that?”
“I’m training to be an educational psychologist,” Dylan said. “At least, that’s the long-term plan. I’ve got a long way to go before I get there. But all of this helps—tutoring, I mean. I get to apply what I’m learning and actually help people in the process.”
“That’s really cool. I’ve got no idea what I want to do.”
“That’s okay, you know. Figure it out as you go along. Sometimes the best-laid plans go awry, and it ends up being something you never considered that stokes your passion or interest.”
“What was yours?” As soon as Jared asked, he wished he could take it back. “I’m sorry. That’s way too personal.”
“No, it’s fine. My younger brother has special-education needs, and I spent a lot of time helping teach him. Especially things his classroom teacher didn’t have time to go over. My parents didn’t want to homeschool him because social interaction is good for kids like Tyler. He just needed the support.”
“So now you’re building that into a career.”
“Exactly. I was lucky I got into a college on the West Coast where I could study, because I think being away from Tyler for a long time, or a long distance, it wouldn’t be great for him, you know. So I stay closer to home, and we’re all happy.”
“It’s so easy to get wrapped up in school stuff,” Jared said with a sigh. “Particularly when there’s Clare and Chris and Adam all wanting to fuck with me in different ways….”
Dylan grinned. “Don’t tell me Adam’s after you.”
“Yeah. It looks that way.”
“Damn kid will never learn.” Jared gave him a questioning look. “Oh, to leave the straight boys alone,” Dylan qualified.
Jared laughed. “I’m gay, Dylan.”
“Oh! Oh.” Dylan blushed, and Jared decided it was cute. Really cute. “I didn’t know.”
“I’m not quite so much of a flaming queen as Adam….”
Dylan laughed then too. “He said he could always tell I was gay, probably before I knew it myself. I think he talks a lot of bullshit. And I wouldn’t call him a queen to his face if I were you.
“I wouldn’t dare. He terrifies me.” Jared wondered for a moment, then decided to bite the bullet. “Was there something between you two?”
Dylan shook his head. “I didn’t come out until after I left the Academy. Adam has been out and proud since he was about fifteen, sixteen maybe. He’s got this aura about him. No one was going to mess with him about being queer. I wasn’t like that, though. I’m still not. It would have made my life hell to be out at school.”
“I didn’t get that option,” Jared said wryly. “Clare outed me before I even arrived.”
“Shit,” Dylan said with a wince. “That sucks.”
“Nah, it’s fine. Saves any awkward conversations.”
“I suppose.”
For a moment the silence hung between them, and Jared wondered if it would be really, really weird if he asked Dylan out. Probably, since Jared was currently paying Dylan to tutor him. Maybe in a few weeks.
“Well, I should get going,” Dylan said, rifling through the notes he’d made while they’d been working. “Will Thursday nights work for you? I come into town to see Ryder anyway, so I could always
